Who you Are
by Ayla Valentine
Summary: Yuffie must prove to her father that she's Ninja material, with the help of Vincent, of course! Yuffie+Vincent
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: All the characters are copyright to Squaresoft, and I don't own them. Not even Vincent ;_; damnit!  
  
  
  
Who you Are  
  
Part 1, By: Ayla  
  
  
  
"Yuffie Kisaragi!"  
  
Yuffie ducked under the random household appliance that was being hurled at her by her father.  
  
"What!?" she said as she poked her head out from under the table.  
  
"What do you call this?!" Godo held up a shiny circular object.  
  
"Materia?"  
  
"Rocks!" He hurled one at the girl as she instinctively ducked. "You've become so lazy lately you have to pass painted rocks as materia!"  
  
"Did it work?"  
  
"No!" Godo fumed. "If you have your heart so intent on restoring Wutai's pride back, then you'll have to get some pride of your own! I can't believe how lazy my daughter has become…" he threw his hands up in the air and started walking off, going on about something of "ungrateful brat" and "spoiled snot," and not even bothering to shut the sliding door.  
  
Yuffie couldn't just hide under the table when all those mean things he had said about her were untrue. She got up and ran after Godo. He was already pacing across the mat of their dojong in the Pagoda.  
  
"Wait, Godo!" Yuffie dashed after him, not even bothering to remove her shoes. "How can you say all those mean things when I was the one who brought back all that materia! I was the one who helped defeat Sephiroth! And I'm the one who wants to restore Wutai back into power!"  
  
"And you are the only Ninja that is almost 17 and still not officially titled a Ninja!"  
  
That struck Yuffie like a nail. It was true. No mater how hard she tried, it was never good enough. All the other children who were trained in the way of the Martial Arts as good as she was had already held their ceremonies for becoming an adult an a Ninja. Once you proved you were a Ninja, you were a man. Or in Yuffie's case, a woman, which she was not.  
  
"You'll never be as good as your mother! So far for saving the world, you haven't grown up a bit! You went through all that trouble, and you still haven't brought me a Knights of the Round! How do you suppose we'll restore Wutai with these crappy summons, huh? Unless you can show me you're a Ninja, there's no help for you Yuffie Kisaragi!"  
  
She couldn't stop the tears from flowing. "Fine then! I'll pack my stuff and show you I'm a Ninja! I am a woman!" she fumed. Godo ignored her and left the Pagoda. Yuffie stomped off to her room in tears and threw all her stuff together in a pillowcase.  
  
She bolted down the steps and ran across the trail to the entrance of her beloved village. "And I will get that stupid Knights of the Round summon materia from Cloud too!" Yuffie shouted. She swung the pillowcase over her shoulder and took off.  
  
Godo couldn't help but feel bad.  
  
  
  
Yuffie stood by the windmill in Nibelheim turning over her upside-down map. "Cloud, Cloud… need to find Cloud."  
  
The truth was she didn't know where to begin. She lost her PHS, either in one of her little adventures or in her room. "  
  
"This must of have been one of those things Godo was talking about." Yuffie murmured.  
  
She couldn't help she lost things… All the time…  
  
She didn't know exactly where to find Cloud, so she thought she would start here in Nibelheim, the place where he grew up and then search Midgar. Yuffie figured he wouldn't be back in Midgar till all the turmoil boiled over.  
  
The town was very quiet. The only sound was the wind blowing and the creaking of the windmill.  
  
"CLOUD STRIIIIIIIIIFE!!!"  
  
No answer. Not even a shut up.  
  
"Cloud Striiiiiiife! There's a plumber here that could use your head as a toilet plunger!!" Yuffie shouted.  
  
Her voice echoed. "Damn, this place is dead…"  
  
The young girl knocked on the doors of Cloud and Tifa's old homes and no one answered. Yuffie felt so alone. So tired. So hungry…  
  
She realized for the first time, she was alone. No one to bug. No one to steal materia from. No one to have as a partner in crime, and without the companionship from her good friends, she felt like nothing. It seemed like Godo just threw her out into the world with a "don't come back until you're grown up."  
  
Yuffie sighed and realized it was getting late. She completely forgot about things like where she would stay, but she did have some gil on her.  
  
  
  
"Hey old man! How much is it a room a night?"  
  
"I'm sorry kid, but all the rooms are taken." The Inn keeper said behind cloud of smoke from his cigar.  
  
"But Missssteerrrrrrrr!" Yuffie growled, "I'm hungry, I'm tired and it's getting cold outside! C'mon, I'm all by myself all alone in the world! I know you have some extra room around here somewhere, I have the gil, c'mon Gramps!"  
  
"Sorry kid, all the rooms are taken. Now beat it!"  
  
Yuffie huffed and wished she could blow the Inn down, but instead walked outside.  
  
A group of guys were talking to each other as they eyed Yuffie as she walked back over to the windmill, where a light post was. One of the guys was in the Inn and heard all the things Yuffie had said. They decided to approach the girl, hands in their pockets.  
  
"You really all alone in the world, sugar? We could give you a place to stay…" they all chuckled.  
  
Yuffie just glared. How pathetic, she thought.  
  
"What's your name, deary?" One smiled cheesily.  
  
"Yuffie, sweetness." The girl smiled cheesily back.  
  
Without knowing it, a chain wrapped around her neck before she could react. Catching her totally off guard, one of the men had walked around the windmill, concealed by the shadows, while the others talked.  
  
Yuffie struggled and screamed for someone to hear her, but it seemed like no one did. The chain was wrapped around her neck so tight she was having a lot of trouble breathing and things were starting to get fuzzy looking. Her hands were doing their best at clawing the man holding the chains, and loosening up the chain around her vocal cord so she could scream, but to no avail.  
  
"Bound her feet up! Bring her up to the old abandoned Mansion!"  
  
No! Yuffie's mind screamed. Even her Ninja strength couldn't compare to strength of a man. They managed to tie up her kicking feet and were now hauling her off towards the old ShinRa Mansion.  
  
  
  
Her pillowcase had been dropped right next to the windmill when a dark figure found it. Finding it such an odd thing to have a pillowcase full of clothes right next to the windmill, the figure decided to just leave it be.  
  
Its owner will find it tomorrow. Vincent thought. Though someone might try to steal it throughout the night… maybe I'll take it with me and look for the owner tomorrow.  
  
So with that, Vincent picked up the sack. Of course he wouldn't look through it, even to see if he could find who it belonged to, he felt one should never look through someone else's personal belongings. Still, it looked familiar.  
  
Upon arriving to his "home", Vincent found that his gate had been left open. He looked around, not a light in his house was on, not a sound, not a track.  
  
Funny… I always shut my gate. The dark man upholstered the Death Penalty and kept it by his side as he entered through the gate.  
  
Making his way halfway up the cobble stone trail, he found 4 bodies, barely visible by the light, all bloody and battered up. It looked as if a fight must have gone on while he was away. But whoever beat up these men, must still be around.  
  
Vincent surveyed the area before picking up one of the bodies, heading out past the gate and leaning it next to a building in the town. They weren't dead of course, just badly inured.  
  
He came back to retrieve the other 3 bodies when he noticed the pillowcase was missing.  
  
"Is anyone there..?"  
  
No answer.  
  
He walked towards one of the bodies lying on his steps when another figure took shape. One crouching in the farthest corner of his porch clutching to a pillowcase.  
  
"Yuffie?"  
  
He knows who I am!?  
  
"Cloud…?  
  
"No, it's Vincent."  
  
  
  
Yuffie hadn't even recognized Vincent. It was so dark outside and her eyes were held so tightly shut she barely heard the voice call her name. She was use to a soft, harsh tone coming from Vincent. Something about preachings of the past and how they were all damned to hell. Now that he actually spoke, being the one asking the question, his voice was so soft.  
  
The girl looked up at Vincent from his living room, wrapped in a blanket. After putting all the bodies back in town to recover on their own, the man had finally let Yuffie in. Trembling, she through her arms around him so tight he thought he would squeak if he talked. Very un-Vincent like.  
  
He didn't ask her a single question, he just took the girl inside quickly and undid all the painful boundings around her wrist and ankles. Yuffie had a horrible rash around her neck as well. Even as he undid the boundings, she couldn't stop the tears streaming down her red cheeks. He rubbed her wrists to get blood to the marks.  
  
Yuffie didn't think about how compassionate Vincent was being, it just seemed to her the thing anyone would do if they found a girl half-raped and trembling in their doorway. It didn't strike her until he lit a fire and wrapped a blanket around her without saying a word.  
  
Vincent was in the kitchen warming up something to drink on the stove when Yuffie asked; "Do you live here?"  
  
"What do you think, Yuffie?"  
  
"Oh…"  
  
He came back into the living room holding a cup of tea and offered her some. The man sat down across from her.  
  
"What are you doing here in Nibelheim? If you don't mind me asking…"  
  
Yuffie looked down. She didn't feel like bringing up all the stupid ramblings and Wutai tradition after what she had been through tonight. "I was looking for Cloud… I need to get the Knights of the Round and he's the only one with a Gold Chocobo I know… I know he'd never give me his, so…" She looked down at the ground.  
  
Vincent took a sip of his tea, still looking at her as if he was expecting more, like what happened. The girl took in a sigh. "So I came here, figuring this would be the best place to start, since he and Tifa grew up here, but I couldn't find him, and it was getting late." The girl pulled the blanket to herself as if it was her only comfort, "And that stupid Inn Keeper wouldn't give me a room and then those men…"  
  
Vincent's eyes were still locked on her, she fidgeted nervously. "One of them put a chain around my neck and the others tied up my feet and hands. They thought no one lived here so they dragged me up here and… and… " she started to blush, "They tried to take my clothes off, but I couldn't let them touch me! So I elbowed one in the gut and kneed the other in the nuts and managed to break the rope with my Ninja skills, then I kicked their butts!"  
  
Yuffie seemed inwardly proud of herself, she didn't want to tell Vincent how she cried like a baby.  
  
"I found this pillowcase outside by the mill, I figure it belongs to you…" he handed her the pillowcase and she nodded.  
  
"You can stay here as long as you need Yuffie."  
  
He sipped his tea once more and looked towards the dancing flames.  
  
"Really Vincent!? Will you help me find Cloud too!?" Yuffie practically shouted with joy and almost knocked her tea over.  
  
"Calm down Yuffie. Yes, I'll help you, but for now you need to get some rest. Just rest for the next few days, you need to recover."  
  
Yuffie nodded and re-arranged her blanket.  
  
"You can sleep out here tonight, I can prepare a room for you tomorrow."  
  
"Thanks, Vincent!"  
  
The man nodded and picked up the teacups and placed them in the kitchen. Then he walked upstairs to his room. The lights were still off, but he didn't put the fire out, he left it for Yuffie.  
  
The girl made sure Vincent was in his room before she threw her clothes off and changed into her pajamas. She would wash her usual ones before she wore those again! Yuffie found a couch, well, bumped into what she thought was a couch and curled up on it to go to sleep.  
  
I'll prove to my father I AM a Ninja… and then she went to sleep. 


	2. Part 2

Disclaimer: All of the characters and places of Final Fantasy 7 belong to Squaresoft. ~sniffles~  
  
  
  
1 Who you Are  
  
1.1 Part 2, By: Ayla  
  
  
  
  
  
Yuffie poked her head into what she HOPED was Vincent's room this time. She had been opening and closing all the doors to the mansion, poking about to see which one a Vincent Valentine was sleeping in. She found one. It was a lump covered by black blankets and admitting a faint snoring sound.  
  
She swung the tall door open and skidded across the room in her bare feet. She placed a tray on the table and looked at Vincent's sleeping form. He was completely covered by blankets.  
  
Jeez, doesn't he know any other color than black and red?  
  
The sneaky girl pulled back the bottom half of his quilt and found two pale feet. He has cute feet! For a guy. Yuffie thought as she lightly tickled his feet. No reaction.  
  
Grrrrrr  
  
She climbed up on his bed and crawled over to where his head might be. The girl pulled back the blankets to find Vincent's lovely head. Completely pale and peaceful. She tucked some of his ebony strands behind his air and blowed into his air. His reaction was award-winning.  
  
He shot up like a bullet with the biggest eyes Yuffie had ever seen. By the time Vincent realized it was just a Yuffie in his room and he was not under fire by creatures blowing things in his hair, Yuffie had fallen off the bed in hysterics.  
  
"My God, Vincent! That was SO funny!" she clutched her stomach as she bent over laughing. "I never knew your face could hold that expression!"  
  
"Ha." Vincent glared. He pulled his blanket up to what he felt was appropriate. He wasn't naked, just in his boxers, which made him feel uncomfortable with someone looking at him without all his layers.  
  
"I got bored waiting for you to get up so I made ya breakfast!" Yuffie beamed in delight.  
  
Vincent looked at the tray on his dresser. "That's nice."  
  
Yuffie stopped laughing. "What's wrong Vincent? It's not like I woke you up from your beauty sleep! It's 11 o'clock!"  
  
"Oh.?" Vincent looked at the clock on his dresser and rubbed his temples. The blanket that was trying so well to hide his bare chest slipped and allowed Yuffie to take in his lovely chest and stomach. The girl blushed and looked away.  
  
What a waste. such a gorgeous man and the only love he has to give is for that dead scientist.  
  
The young girl looked the other way as Vincent slipped on his shirt and pants, and then buckled all the strips on his cloak. She couldn't help but feel sad for Vincent and mad at Lucrecia for some reason.  
  
She practically played him and left him for. eww! She had Vincent's love and she let it go.  
  
The girl frowned. "Are you done yet?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Yuffie turned around. His bed had already been made too.  
  
"Come with me, I'll show you you're room."  
  
"What, you're not going to eat your breakfast?"  
  
".."  
  
"Vincent!"  
  
Too late, he had already left the room.  
  
"Fine! I'm making dinner and shoving it down your throat!" Yuffie said as she chased after him.  
  
  
  
"Oh I like this room!" the girl said as she looked around, "except for the cobwebs."  
  
"We can fix that," said Vincent, who was one step ahead of her. He was already propped up on a chair collecting the cobwebs with one of those dust- collecting things.  
  
"How long do you think you'll be staying here, Yuffie?"  
  
"Oh what, you're trying to kick me out already?"  
  
"No, I'm just asking, in case you need anything."  
  
"I don't know, however long it takes me to get the Knights of the Round summon materia, I guess."  
  
"Well then you'll need a few things." He was dusting off and getting the spider webs off the high places and Yuffie did the same for the bottoms.  
  
"Hmm. I have all the clothes I need, my brush, my toothbrush. yeah, I'll be hungry soon, you can go get me a whole Thanksgiving dinner!"  
  
Vincent looked down at her from his position. "That's not what I meant."  
  
Yuffie looked up at him. "Well then what did you mean?" Ooooh, this is gunna be funny.  
  
"Uh.. Just, in case, you need, a few. products?"  
  
The girl was just basking in his embarrassment. "Vincent, what are you talking about? Beauty products? Deodorant? Are you saying I smell?"  
  
"Well, no."  
  
"Are you calling me fat?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Well then go back to work!"  
  
The poor man sighed and shook his head as he continued his work. Yuffie tried not to bust up laughing.  
  
Throughout the day it was nothing but vacuuming, washing blankets, dusting and cleaning things up. Soon the room Yuffie would sleep in seemed welcoming enough. She would be able to sleep in an actual bed tonight. Vincent was off getting things at the store and the curious girl thought it would be fun to explore his creepy house.  
  
She decided it was more fun to slide down the railing of the stairs than go down them on foot and poked her head into the greenhouse room. Surprisingly for such a dark and gloomy man, Vincent had the time to keep. flowers.  
  
Yuffie snickered as she imagined the scary man who didn't give a damn about anything tending to flowers.  
  
She crept into the other room, which was nothing more than a den and looked throughout the whole mansion for a T.V.  
  
Vincent finally came home later on to find a very bored Yuffie sitting in the middle of the entranceway on the carpet. "I'm bored."  
  
The man just blinked and set the groceries down on the counter and started to unpack them. The girl came into the kitchen and poked him. "There's nothing to do in your house, Vincent. You don't even have a T.V."  
  
Vincent didn't say anything to her, he just continued unpacking things.  
  
"There's plenty of things to do. You can read, for one."  
  
"Booooring."  
  
Yuffie came over to where Vincent was unloading things and peeked into the bag. "Vincent, I can't believe you didn't get me any pads."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
  
  
Yuffie liked sleeping in a bed of her own. It was a lot better than her bed at home, but she was starting to get homesick. She decided today would be the day she would try to contact Cloud, she had done her resting and the marks around her wrist and ankles were healed.  
  
The girl yawned and walked and stretched down the hallway at the same time and slid down the stair railing. Vincent was preparing breakfast. She was so thankful for his help. Indeed she wasn't the ungrateful brat her father had accused her of. Vincent was actually. her friend. It seemed like a different kind of friend than giggling with Tifa and pestering Cid, Vincent seemed like the kind she wanted to make happy. She only hoped he thought of her as a friend.  
  
Yuffie shrugged. Vincent had his opinions on things that were very different from everyone else's. Yuffie figured Vincent just thought of her as an acquaintance.  
  
The girl sat down at the table in which she dubbed "her" seat, even though it was the seat Vincent preferred to sit in, he let her have it.  
  
"Hey Vincent, do you still have your PHS?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Could I use it? I need to call Cloud."  
  
He nodded and placed a stack of pancakes on Yuffie's plate. She scarfed them down. The man smiled inwardly, It's nice having company.  
  
Ring, ring, ring  
  
No one was picking up the PHS.  
  
Ring, ring, ring  
  
Still no answer.  
  
Ring, ring, ring  
  
"Cloud answer the damn PHS!!"  
  
Ring, "Hullo?"  
  
"Cloud!"  
  
"Who is this.?"  
  
"What do you mean 'who is this', it's your best friend, Yuffie!"  
  
"Oh. What do you need, Yuffie?"  
  
"Uh. well, it's a long story, but I know you'd never give me your Knights of the Round,"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"And I really need it. So can I borrow at least borrow your Gold Chocobo?! I really, really need it to prove to my dad that I really am Ninja material and that I can make him happy and turn Wutai back to its power and then I'll finallybecomeaWOMAN!" the gasped as she was out of breath from talking so fast.  
  
"I got.. None of that."  
  
Yuffie gave a big huff. "Cloud!"  
  
"Just kidding! Yuffie, if you really want to prove to your dad that you're Ninja material, then don't you think it would be better showing him you got the Knights of the Round materia all by yourself?"  
  
"Cloooooud!" Yuffie whimpered.  
  
"And don't you think that would be showing him how much patience you have and all that stuff?"  
  
"Nooooooo?"  
  
"Yuffie, I know you can do it. I have faith in you. If you're really that determined to become a great Ninja, which I know you are, then you'll do the right thing."  
  
".Can I ask Tifa?."  
  
"No, Yuffie! Just take my word for it as a friend and do it yourself! You can't keep on depending on other people and letting everyone else do things for you!" and with that he hung up.  
  
"Thanks a lot, toilet plunger!" Yuffie shouted at the dial tone.  
  
  
  
Later that evening when Vincent decided they should go to the store to get out of the house and get Yuffie some clothes, the poor girl didn't seem so cherry. She wasn't bouncing around like her usual sweet sixteen self and asking him to buy her every in every store they passed.  
  
They reached the entrance to Nibelheim and Vincent rented a yellow chocobo for the usual traveling. He would need to visit a place elsewhere that had shops so he could get Yuffie some clothes. The nights were starting to get colder and Vincent was willing to put out what little money he had. Still, Yuffie was bummed.  
  
"What's wrong Yuffie? Did you get a hold of Cloud?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
The dark man mounted the Chocobo and held out his claw to help her up. The girl managed to gracefully get on, probably due to her Ninja-like nature and slid her arms around Vincent's stomach.  
  
"He said that it would make my dad a lot prouder if I got a Gold Chocobo myself and got the materia."  
  
"He's right you know."  
  
"Oh gosh! Now you're starting to sound like him. It's way to hard, I don't HAVE patience!"  
  
The man didn't reply back. Not even a "I know you can do it, Yuffie." Usually when he kept silent he agreed with what was said. The girl sighed. Sometimes Vincent really did make her mad!  
  
  
  
Of course, no one insulted Yuffie Kisaragi like that and got away with it. Even if she insulted herself and Vincent really didn't say she had no patience, he agreed with it, and that was reason enough to be mad at him.  
  
The young Ninja didn't say a word to him. He probably wasn't expecting it either, nor did he say a word to her. Finally before he couldn't take her not talking to him when he really needed her to, the man sighed.  
  
"Okay Yuffie, you win."  
  
Yuffie just crossed her arms and nodded.  
  
"Yuffie..."  
  
No answer.  
  
"Fine. Get what you need and come get me when you're done."  
  
The girl opened the door to the store and went inside. Vincent just sat down on a bench and sighed.  
  
Finally Yuffie came out of the store with a bag full of clothes. The man looked at her confused.  
  
"I have my own money," replied the girl.  
  
Curious to how much she had on her, and the fact that someone else might notice, Vincent kept by Yuffie's side. 


	3. Part 3

Disclaimer: I STILL don't own any of the characters of Final Fantasy 7, they all belong to Squaresoft! ^_^  
  
1 Who you Are  
  
1.1 Part 3, By: Ayla  
  
  
  
Yuffie headed into another store. She was doing fine on her own getting the things she needed with Vincent beside her, until she spotted a group of guys talking to each other in a certain particular isle!  
  
Oh my gosh. I could just die. Is it the same stupid idiots?  
  
They had purple and black bruises on their face and arms.  
  
damn!  
  
The girl frowned but then got an evil smirk on her face. She remembered she hadn't quite forgiven Vincent and now she had found the perfect opportunity to make him pay!  
  
"Pssst, Vincent!" The girl pulled him down to her height by his sleeve until she could whisper in his ear; "It's those idiots again! They'll know who I am if I go down there, but they won't know you!"  
  
"Why do you have to go down there anyway? Can't you just pass up the item if it's going to get you in trouble?"  
  
Yuffie whispered something else in his air.  
  
  
  
A few people just kind of stopped to stare at the tall, dark, scary looking man searching down an isle for pink wrappers. The men chatting on the corner of the isle just stared at Vincent. Vincent glared at them and picked up a label and read it. They didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  
  
Finally, with much wounded pride he tried his best not to show, Vincent Valentine walked out of the maxi-pad isle and up to the cash register. Yuffie was on the floor laughing.  
  
After everything was purchased Vincent hauled his ass out of that store right quick! Though the little Ninja girl still wasn't through with her torture yet. As soon as he got out of the store Yuffie started to sing:  
  
"Ooooooh, shake and prance, wiggle entrance!  
  
Let's all do the maxi-pad dance!"  
  
She burst into hysterical laughter as Vincent just stared at her. The truth was, the poor man didn't even have enough to get all the things at the store he wanted. Yuffie had to help him even after she had bought a good amount of clothes.  
  
  
  
They got home and the young girl put all her clothes away in the closet. It was still dusty, they had missed a spot. Yuffie's conscience was even starting to play its part in making her feel bad. Even if it was funny, it didn't feel like it any more. After all Vincent had done for her, maybe her father really was right, maybe she really was an ungrateful brat.  
  
It was too late to apologize now. Most of the lights in the Mansion had turned off which usually meant Vincent was probably already in bed.  
  
The girl took a quick shower and got into her pajamas. Actually, they really weren't pajamas. Hers were being washed and the only ones Vincent could offer was one of his shirts. It was baggy on her small frame, just enough to cover her thighs though.  
  
With a heavy heart, Yuffie slipped into bed and curled up into a little ball. She would indeed apologize to Vincent tomorrow and maybe for the best, leave. She didn't want to leave, not after she had established herself so well here. She wasn't sure if Vincent wanted her to leave either. Even if he didn't want her to go, it's probably best she should. Even if he could help her get a Gold Chocobo, he could never afford it. The girl shivered and finally managed to drift off to sleep.  
  
  
  
"You ungrateful little brat!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"You'll never be as good as your mother."  
  
"But I really have tried."  
  
"You can't keep on depending on other people."  
  
"But I can never do anything on my own! I'm always not capable or too young!"  
  
"And letting everyone else do things for you."  
  
"But."  
  
"You need to get some pride of your own! "  
  
A shaking Yuffie sat straight up. They were right. All the voices in her dream were right. She felt so horrible about herself she just knelt over and cried on her pillow. She cried for what felt like a long time when she heard her door slightly open.  
  
She turned over to find ruby eyes staring at her in worry. "Yuffie, are you alright?"  
  
The girl sniffled and whiped her nose. "I'm so sorry Vincent! I'm so sorry for everything." She turned over and hugged her pillow. "I'm sorry if I'm not as good as my mother! I'll never be a Ninja! I'll never make my dad happy, I'll never get that stupid summon. I'm the only Martial Artist in my village that hasn't been officially titled a Ninja, my father thinks it's a disgrace! I'll never uphold the honor of the Shinobi..never." she whispered, "I'll never be a woman."  
  
By this time Vincent had made his way across the room and had knelt beside her bed to stroke her hair.  
  
"Yuffie, come with me," he spoke softly. His cloak was wrapped around him and he used a corner to dry her tears. The man lifted the girl out of bed and wrapped his cloak around her. He then started walking out of the room down the hallway where Yuffie followed. He opened a door to the outside and the girl instinctively wrapped the cloak around herself tighter.  
  
Vincent stepped outside and walked across the lawn for a ways. The Nebilheim Mountains loomed dark and gloomy in the background. He stopped before a barn and stepped inside. The girl followed him and found, there in the farthest stable, was a beautiful Gold Chocobo preening its feathers.  
  
"Vincent.. why. where..?"  
  
"Cloud no longer needed it, and I couldn't afford a chocobo, so he gave it to me. I usually don't ride him often since everyone has their eye on one."  
  
"But why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"Because. I. I knew that once you had it, you'd be traveling through the Nebilheim Mountains, most unsafe for a little girl."  
  
Yuffie didn't know what to say. She was mad and hurt at the same time.  
  
"I'm not a little girl anymore! How many people do I have to prove this to!- " Before she could finish her lecture Vincent threw his arms around her. The girl just stood frozen as he cradled her towards his body with his normal hand against the back of her head.  
  
"Don't you see? I knew the moment you'd gotten on that chocobo you'd be gone and I would be left alone again."  
  
Yuffie didn't know what to say, she was shocked! Vincent had feelings just like everyone else. and he didn't want to see her go. The girl hugged him tight as she shivered.  
  
The young Ninja found herself curled up in a warm bed right next to Vincent, who was sleeping soundly. She would leave the next day to go get that blasted summon materia! She felt bad that she didn't do it on her own, that she really didn't deserve the chocobo, but she had to leave.  
  
After being outside and shivering, the dark man knew to bring the girl inside before she got sick. He tucked her back into her bed until she insisted that she sleep in his bed, just for tonight. Just in case she had any more nightmares. She wasn't cold anymore.  
  
Though they slept with their backs facing each other, in the morning, Yuffie was curled up in Vincent's arms.  
  
When Vincent woke up, he could have swore that Yuffie was right there with him, wrapped up in his arms, but she was no where. He wondered how long he slept when he got up and checked her room. All of her things were packed. He ran outside to the barn, the chocobo was gone.  
  
The man sighed and went back inside. It was starting to rain. He found a note on the table that told him how much she appreciated him and thanked him.  
  
  
  
Yuffie managed to get the Knights of the Round, rub it in her dad and Cloud's face, and return the chocobo to Vincent. After learning all that happened, Godo seemed impress. His little girl had managed to stay out of trouble and brought him back the most valuable materia on the planet! Of course he was considering asking Vincent for his So. Security number, his address and his birth certificate, he did no such thing and decided to give his daughter one more chance.  
  
The thing was is that in order to officially become a Ninja, one must climb the Da-Chao Mountain, stay there for 3 nights, and give thanks to the Gods. If the Gods were willing to let you return, then you would officially be titled a Ninja of the Shinobi.  
  
  
  
"You mean I have to sit up on that statue and play Survivor!?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Daaaaaad!"  
  
"Yuffie! I'm giving you one more chance. I know you can do it, if the Gods are willing. You're mother was a remarkable Martial Artist, and I know the skill can be passed down. Besides, you are descendant of the Shinobi. You're about to become seventeen, and a woman. Yuffie, my daughter, your breeding is perfect. I know you can do it, it's in who you are."  
  
With such words of encouragement, the young soon-to-officially-be-a-Ninja beamed with delight.  
  
  
  
Day 1: She set out that day without any supplies and climbed her way all the way to the top of Da-Chao. For her first night, she lit a fire on her own and song whatever annoying song came to her head. All of Wutai could here a faint little voice in the middle of the night singing: "Kooombiyaaaaa My Looooord!"  
  
And a very loud: "SHUT UP!" to Da-Chao.  
  
Day 2: Halfway dead with boredom, Yuffie started talking to herself. About how much she missed Vincent and hoped he would be there for her celebration when she returned.  
  
Day 3: Happy this would be her last night on Da-Chao, Yuffie gave thanks to the Gods and prayed they would speed time up. Or drop a PHS on her head so she could Dominos for a pizza!  
  
Day 4: She had made it. Half starved and deprived of sleep from the flat rock surface, she could finally please her father and become a Ninja.  
  
  
  
Of course, when she returned, there was a celebration. Everyone was there. Yuffie was given the title "Kisaragi Ninja of the Shinobi" and dressed in her most formal kimono. A sacred ointment was placed on her forehead and a symbol. She bowed to her father. This would be the first attempt to restore Wutai back to power.  
  
And searching through the crowd of people gathering to watch her ceremony to become a woman, Vincent Valentine wasn't there. Even after the ceremony had ended, still no Vincent to be found.  
  
Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Cid, Cait Sith and Red XIII were all there. Besides the happy atmosphere, they sensed Yuffie wasn't all that happy.  
  
Cid: Hey kid, where's Vince?  
  
Barret: I ate 'em, he gave me indigestion.  
  
Tifa: Indigestion? I hope that hasn't been happening to my costumers.  
  
Cloud: Don't worry Tifa, I got some Pepto Bismol right here!  
  
Cait Sith: I don't even want to know what that's for and why you have it.  
  
Red XIII just shook his head. "Yuffie, here." Red gave Yuffie a note that told her to go outside. Confused, the girl rushed outside.  
  
There, sitting on a Gold Chocobo was Vincent Valentine. Yuffie threw her arms around him.  
  
"I missed you so much! I thought you weren't even going to make it! You already missed the ceremony."  
  
"I don't need a ceremony to show me how much of a woman you've become."  
  
Vincent gave a soft smile, picked the girl up and gave her a gentle kiss. The Ninja blushed at her first kiss and looked up at the tall, dark and oooooh so handsome man to find that his face was. red.  
  
She turned around to find the whole gang whistling and applauding her. Even her father with his belly rumbling as he laughed heartily. Yuffie could do nothing but give a grin as a Vincent stood there totally flushed red for the first time.  
  
I guess there's a first time for everything. 


End file.
